Second Chances
by Regularamanda
Summary: He was her Daddy. He had a second chance at fatherhood. Fluff. Future. Sam and Jack Established.


_Author's Note- Father's Day is this weekend, so in honor of that I wrote this fic. It's sort of a continuation to 'Reality was Better Than the Dream' since the same little girl and Dog are in this one. But you don't have to read that story to understand this. Happy Father's Day and enjoy!_

**Second Chances**

The retired General sat on the bark bench flipping through the newspaper, paying more attention to his daughter playing than on the newspaper itself. The blue merle Shetland sheepdog Sydney obediently laying at his feet, watching the little girl play on the jungle gym. Her eyes locked on the little girl, always keeping her within her sights. Never allowing the girl to go too far away. And if she did a sharp bark from the dog always brought her back.

Suddenly a commotion accorded by the jungle gym and before Jack even had a chance to jump, the dog's leash slipped out of his hand and Sydney was running towards the girl.

Jack ran over to find a little boy on his back in the sand and his daughter crying. The dog growled at the boy, causing him to shrink away.

Sydney turned back to Charlotte and nudged her hand with her muzzle. Charlotte cried and threw her arms around the dog's neck.

"What the hell happened?" Jack asked.

"She started it!" The little boy accused.

"I did not…you jerk." Charlotte said sniffling.

"Charlotte…that's not nice." He told her.

"He was mean…to me." She said hiccupping.

"I was not you little cry baby." The boy sneered.

"Steven Theodore Smith! Apologize to that little girl right now!" A middle age woman said as she stomped over to the boy.

The boy stood up, eyeing the dog wearily. "I'm sorry."

"Me too…but it was your fault." Charlotte said as she rubbed the tears on her cheeks.

The boy opened his mouth to argue but his mother stepped in and apologized to Jack before turning and leading the boy away.

Jack knelt down to Charlotte's level and said "What happened?"

Tears once again pooled in her eyes and Jack realized that they weren't fake tears. Something had really upset her.

"Pumpkin you can tell me what happened." He said gently.

Charlotte threw her arms around him and sobbed into his neck.

He lifted her up into his arms and waited.

"He said…mean things." She managed to get out in between her crying.

Jack frowned. What sort of things could one little boy say to make her this upset?

"What sort of things?" Jack asked.

"He said…that you were old…and that you looked like my Grandpop….and I pushed him into the sand….and I told him that you were my Daddy, not my Grandpop." She said once again hiccupping.

That was something that had always worried about when Sam had been pregnant. That his child would grow up with people thinking that he was her Grandfather, instead of her Father. That he was too old to do this again. He'd been down this road once before and he never would have thought he'd be down it again.

But they hadn't done anything to prevent it. They'd left it up to fate as it were. Sam's body had been messed with so many times she wasn't even sure she could have children. But deep down he knew that he wanted Sam's children as much as she wanted his. Knew that if it would have happen that was great, and if it didn't than they wouldn't be disappointed.

And as he glanced at the little girl in his arms, he knew he'd never regret this. Oh sure he couldn't play catch with her in the yard as long as he'd like. And his knees killed him every time they played together. He needed those reading glasses that he despised when he read her bed time stories. And he may not live long enough to walk her down the aisle or be there to see her kids grow up.

But he'd never take these days that he had with her for granted. Because when it was all said and done, today could be all that he had with her. And he refused to focus on the negatives. This little girl was in his life and he wouldn't change a second of it.

She was still crying into his neck.

"I don't think you're old…" Charlotte said suddenly.

Jack smiled at her.

"Pumpkin…it's okay…calm down…but you really shouldn't have pushed that boy down." Jack said chastising her.

"Uncle Teal'c told me that as a young warrior I'm supposed to stand up for myself." She said seriously, her eyebrows drawn together in concentration.

"True…but what does Uncle Danny tell you?"

"Fighting is never the answer." Charlotte said with a roll of her eyes.

Jack chuckled at her. "And what do I say?"

"To stick my fingers in my ears….and hum loudly!" She said with a big grin as she got it right.

"Are you mad at me?" She asked after a minute.

Yeah how the Hell was he supposed to be mad at her when she smiled at him the way that Sam always did? How was he supposed to resist _that_?

"Just don't let it happen again." He said softly.

"Alright ." She said as she hugged him.

After a few minutes she softly whispered "Daddy?"

"Hmmm?"

"You're the best Daddy. And I love you." Charlotte said as she kissed his cheek.

He wondered how such a small and seemingly insignificant word could break down every barrier that he could have ever built around his heart. He'd been called many things through the years, but nothing ever beat being called 'Daddy'.

Emotions clogged his throat and all he was able to say was "I love you too Pumpkin."

"And I love you both." A voice said from behind them.

Jack turned around to find the woman he loved grinning at him.

Sydney let out a bark.

Sam laughed and ruffled the dog's head. "I love you too Sydney."

Sam sent a Jack a look of confusion when she saw Charlottes read puffy eyes. She mouthed a 'what happened?'

"I'll tell you later."

"Ah." Sam said.

"How about we go get some ice cream?" Jack said excitedly.

Sam's eyebrow rose and she did a Teal'c impression.

"I'll have sugar free." He said with a roll of his eyes.

She beamed at him.

"Joy killer." He said under his breath, teasing her.

Her grin grew and she walked up to him and gave him a kiss. That was _way _better than ice cream.

Charlotte covered her eyes. "Ewww…stop…" She wined.

Jack pulled away from Sam. "One day you're going to do that to a boy." But not for a very long time…not until she was in her 50's and married he added silently.

She looked at him with horror. "Me? Nu huh! Boy's are icky." She said as she scrunched up her nose at him.

"You just keep thinking that…save your Daddy the worry." Jack said with a laugh.

Jack lifted her down to the ground and held onto her hand. They walked in silence to the ice cream parlor down the sidewalk.

"Can Sydney have an ice cream cone too?"

"Just this once…" Sam said with a roll of her eyes.

They got the four ice cream cones and Charlotte fed Sydney the ice cream. She broke into hysteric giggles when the ice cream melted down onto her hand and Sydney licked her hand to get it off.

Jack looked at his little family that they had created together. And as Sam lifted her head and caught Jack staring at her, she smiled. Her eyes radiated that she loved him, as he knew his own were doing.

Who would have thought that a simple reassignment would have led him to this moment, to this love that he felt.

He knew he didn't deserve this second chance at love, at being a father again. But he was so glad that he had it.

He wasn't going to waste it.

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_Author's Note- Thanks for reading and if you liked it let me know!_


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